Change. It is the very essence of life, yet we tend to resist it, even when we know it would likely produce positive results. Charles Kettering, head of research for GM and inventor of the electric starter said “The world hates change, yet it is the only thing that has brought progress.”
From the rocking of the cradle to the rolling of the hearse (to quote Kris Kristofferson), the only constant is change. Much change is out of our hands, such as parental decisions when we are young and new laws and regulations we are subjected to as adults, but certainly we have control over a significant amount.
This is the time of year that many of us “commit” to change via New Year’s resolutions. Commit is in quotation marks for obvious reasons, as New Year’s resolutions seldom result in a permanent change of behavior. This is true for several reasons, but two primary ones are 1) the resolution is unrealistic and 2) lack of knowledge about how to effectively change habits.
Two common New Year’s resolutions concern weight loss and money, and it’s easy to understand why they are oftentimes unrealistic. One or both may have been neglected for years, so we feel compelled to make up for lost time. Inevitably, we become discouraged when results are slow to appear. We may be resistant to change we didn’t initiate, but when we are on board with change, we want it NOW!
The answer to the unrealistic resolution is to start small. The rationale for this is twofold; 1) the likelihood of success is greater with small goals, and 2) small successes can provide the motivation for permanent behavioral change.
It is a common belief that willpower, or a lack thereof, is the primary reason for success or failure with New Year’s resolutions. Recent research indicates that it is a limited resource and that while we can increase it, much like a muscle, by using it more, it isn’t limitless. For example, by using willpower to push through an assignment at work or school, there could be less available late in the day to avoid that high caloric treat.
So what does all of this have to do with life insurance? It has been my experience that many people put off dealing with the issue, in part, because of the change that is required, both in the budget and in confronting unpleasant issues.
Since change is certain, I think it is prudent to be proactive and confront and direct change when possible, and most certainly when the change will leave you (and your loved ones) better off. As Adlai Stevenson said, “Change is inevitable. Change for the better is a full-time job.”